AMA CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP: TOMAC RISES TO THE OCCASION, PALA TRACK UNWORTHY & THAT’S ALL FOLKS

All hail Eli. When the cards were laid on the table, Eli Tomac had a royal flush. He played is hand brilliantly, while Honda’s shot at regaining lost glory came oh so close, but it will have to wait another year (when Eli won’t be racing the 450 outdoors). Next year, when Jett moves up a class and the deck is shuffled with new players, Honda will get another chance. As for this season’s end, the final round of 2022 AMA 450 National Championship was played out across the road from an Indian casino, with a first turn combination that didn’t work at Pala I and wasn’t any better for Pala II, on a less than stellar racetrack, in 105 degree temperatures, with spectators who suffered as much as the racers and where Hunter Lawrence did something that would have brought instantaneous AMA reprisals if Justin Barcia had done it. It was a great season with great racing. We got to see the past and the future at the same time at Pala.

FOX RACEWAY II // COMPLETE COVERAGE

2022 450 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL POINTS STANDINGS
1. Eli Tomac (Yam)…546
2. Chase Sexton (Hon)…539
3. Jason Anderson (Kaw)…440
4. Ken Roczen (Hon)…394
5. Christian Craig (Yam)…373
6. Ryan Dungey (KTM)…359
7. Aaron Plessinger (KTM)…322
8. Justin Barcia (Gas)…303
9. Joey Savatgy (Kaw)…222
10. Shane McElrath (Hus)…213

2022 250 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL POINTS STANDINGS
1. Jett Lawrence (Hon)…525
2. Jo Shimoda (Kaw)…480
3. Hunter Lawrence (Hon)…468
4. Justin Cooper (Yam)…415
5. R.J. Hampshire (Hus)…346
6. Max Vohland (KTM)…303
7. Seth Hammaker (Kaw)…256
8. Nate Thrasher (Yam)…251
9. Michael Mosiman (Gas)…208
10. Pierce Brown (Gas)…198